1. Field of the Invention
My invention relates generally to shoulder guns and more particularly to a recoil pad attached to the gun stock at the butt end to cushion and absorb the recoil energy produced when the projectile is fixed out the muzzle of the gun. The recoil pad compresses to distribute the recoil energy over a large area of the shoulder to avoid pain and bruising to the shooter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recoil pads for shotguns and rifles to cushion the recoil forces to the shoulder of the shooter are well known in the prior art. These known recoil pads have been found to not be completely satisfactory for a number of reasons. Their physical design does not distribute the recoil forces sufficiently. The material used to make them is not of the proper durometer hardness and thus not conducive to cushion and thus conform to the shape of the shoulder. The elastomeric material was subject to deterioration with time and use in the field. Numerous attempts to solve this problem have been made by inventions such as:
The patent to Pachmayr, U.S. Pat. No. 3,609,903 is the most widely known recoil pad, made of one piece red rubber and having webs that form self springs. The material deteriorates and hardens with age. Further this pad does not spread out to disperse the pressure of the recoil to the shoulder.
The patent to Webb, U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,544 discloses a recoil pad comprising an open-cell foam material and fluid enclosed in a flexible container on the butt of the gun stock. This recoil material is likened to a sponge in a non-compressible fluid such as water or oil. This combination will conform to the shoulder but will not absorb the shock of recoil.
These aforementioned patents have the obvious deficiency of not being able to absorb the forces of recoil of the shoulder guns by distributing the forces over a broad area and thereby cushioning the recoil.